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By PattiMcCracken
Source:THANHNIENNEWS.COM (http://www.thanhniennews.com/sports/?catid=5&newsid=42320)

Leading toward the Rathaus (town hall) on Vienna's famed Ringstrasse, are a steady stream of trinket shops sandwiched in between the book and furniture stores frequented by locals.

This month the souvenir shops are sporting all manner of Euro 2008 goodies--from a keyring in the shape of a football shoe (with a tiny clock embedded in it, presumably so game time can be tracked) to oversized Euro 2008 pencils, hats, t-shirts and posters.

But nothing is selling.

"No one can take any items into the "Fan Zone" because security won't allow it, so of course they aren't buying now," says shop owner Dietmar Herzog. "No one seems to have thought this through."

At the shops set up in tents just outside the Fan Zone (where games can be viewed on large screen tv), the complaint is the same--there are few buyers and merchants are putting the blame at the feet of security organizers.

"But nevermind," says Herzog, "next week everything will be half price."